Time and information technology: monochronicity, polychronicity and temporal symmetry

Abstract

This paper investigates how information technology affects temporal aspects of organizational work beyond speeding up business processes. It has developed the dimensions of temporality of business processes and applied them to describe and analyse temporal changes of export-related work in trading companies using EDI. In the departments studied, information technology transformed temporal profiles of work and also created a temporal symmetry between work groups interacting with each other. This result is compared with a previous study (Barley, 1988. In Making Time, Temple University Press). This temporal transformation of work by information technology has rarely been explored in information systems research as well as organizational studies. At this stage of research, it is difficult to decide which temporality, monochronicity or polychronicity, information technology facilitates, or whether information technology will always create temporal symmetry. More research on the relationship between time and information technology is required. Whatever temporal consequences of information technology are supported by future research, it is believed that this temporal consideration has value in information systems development and implementation. By taking into account polychronicity, monochronicity and temporal symmetry, we will be able to develop information systems which better fit users' temporal behaviour.